Reflection – Dr Nathan Leber

A spectacular life!

Today’s message is about humility, but we should be careful not to confuse this. The Lord does hear the cries of the poor and the just alike. He also stands for those who are abandoned by others, isolated and marginalised. We have the story of the tax collector, humble in his own acknowledgement of his sin, and the Pharisee, exulted in his perceived righteousness. We might be tempted to call him egotistical, yet an understanding of one’s self-image and potential is often what allows people to do great things. Take Mother Teresa, whose self-belief allowed her to stand for all she believed in. Awareness of your talents and realisation of your purpose is not a bad thing, as long as you also understand you are an instrument of God. In other words, be full of the Lord and not full of yourself. God doesn’t want your life to be mediocre, He wants it to be spectacular. Don’t confuse humility with passivity. As Marianne Williamson wrote, “You are a child of God. You playing small does not serve the world.” Of course, we need still to be cautious of pride, and the particular type we see in the parable today Saint Thomas Aquinas would call self-deception. Jesus does not deny the claims of the Pharisee – he is excellent in his devotion, he recognises that it comes from God and gives Him praise, but he seeks exclusive possession of this virtue. He sees himself above others in his piety and doesn’t want others to be righteous like him. He thinks not for the common good nor for solidarity. He denies the God-given dignity of others, a dignity we all have as children of God. It is this disdain for others, the superiority, the arrogance, pride and envy which stops us from being righteous in God’s sight. It reminds us that even if I am not being unjust myself, but still benefit from unjust societal structures and do nothing to right it (or rejoice in it), I cease to be innocent! We need to see ourselves and our lives more like St Paul –life as a libation, a sacrifice poured out for all. Sound like someone else we know, right? We need to stop ticking off our salvation list of the deeds I need to get into heaven. After all, will I ever do enough to forget about mercy or forgiveness, kindness and love? Our life (and the race) can only be complete when we have poured ourselves out for the goodness of all. This is humility, born as a distinct virtue from faith, because in that moment we realise that not only has God given us great things, but He has given them not for us to prosper from them alone, but so that all may have life, and have it to the full. As Saint Irenaeus said, “Gloria enim Dei vivens homo, vita autem hominis visio Dei” – for the glory of God is in the living person, but a person’s life consists in the vision of God.

Dr Nathan Leber